The Mother of all Email Marketing

Mother’s Day is a special time of year where mothers and grandmothers are celebrated and appreciated. This year, it’s Sunday 6th March- write it in your diaries now and don’t forget it! Mothering Sunday also provides an opportunity for some targeted email marketing, yes, that’s the sound of tills ringing! Jewellery, clothing, flowers, books, CD’s, gift certificates and greeting cards are among the most gifted items for Mother’s Day, so if you work in retail, it’s time to get busy!

Top Tips

1. Much like any marketing campaign, start sending Mother’s Day email reminders in advance to your existing list.
2. Your customers might be stumped for ideas- how about sending them gift ideas or a selection of your ‘most popular items’?
3. Don’t neglect to reward your customers with an offer or a free gift, even something simple like free delivery or gift wrapping.
4. Make sure you detail your shipping cut-off dates so your customers know when to order. Nothing spells disappointment like a late gift!
5. Drive engagement – its competition time! Ask your customers to share a story or tell you their favourite thing about their mum, encouraging them to connect with you on social media.

From clueless to in the know!

Some buyers may not know what to purchase for their loved one, and some may have just the idea. This is where your segmentation and stereotyping comes in- sophisticated segmenters may be able to send a “here’s what you bought mum last time” email, along with some new suggestions. If you have some products to sell that are specifically aimed at mums, this is where you can guide your customers into making a purchase with a “Gifts mum will love” email. Remember, customers want their lives to be made easier, and that’s where an email that does the gift-thinking for them can make you the most popular person on the planet!

Simple is always best

Speaking of making life simple, make sure that your newsletter is geared up for Mother’s Day with a snappy title, a tantalising Johnson Box and, perhaps most importantly, a prominent call-to-action as soon as they open your email.

E-Male Marketing

Dads are one of the biggest spenders on Mother’s Day- They buy not only for their mums, but also for their wives (often on behalf of the kids!) It’s very easy to forget this on Mother’s Day and fail to target this segment appropriately. To get scientific on you and discuss evolutionary psychology, whilst men and women have been shown to have different motives for gift-giving, the amount both sexes spend on their romantic partners and close relations is equal. This means that if you don’t message Dad on Mother’s Day, you could be doing yourself out of business. Mother’s Day marketing tends to focus on emotional, aspirational products over practicality, but as men are notoriously practical, perhaps see if you could tie in the two to your next campaign, like a gorgeous new designer coat which is not only aspirational, but also practical?

Emotive vs Practical Subject lines

“Love you, mum” and “Perfect gifts for Mothers”. Two perfectly normal subject lines but do you see how the first is emotive, the second practical? Varying your subject lines between sickly-sweet and perfectly-practical can ensure that you’re appealing to a wide audience base. You can also get cryptic and pique some interest with an intriguing “Is that you, mum?” email- perhaps selling a new range of beauty products or an offer on a haircut and style.

Think outside the box

Gift-wrapped chocolates are almost always a good option on Mother’s Day, but sometimes you need to think a little more laterally when it comes to email marketing. Some studies have found that email campaigns sent AFTER the main event have a higher open rate than those sent in the lead-up to the big day itself. Is this because it seems a little odd to receive a Mother’s Day email after the event, and so naturally captures a reader’s attention? Possibly, but don’t forget that some cautious shoppers, those celebrating the day late or discount-hunters will be on the lookout for further bargains for mother-dearest. Don’t disappoint them.

Thanks, Mum

Above all, Mother’s Day is a time to say thank you to those wonderful women in our lives, and you can use it as an opportunity to thank your customers, reward them for their loyalty, give a little gift that they can pass on to their mum, or in fact anything you may want to do. The rules remain the same, segment your list, make sure your campaign is targeted and appropriate, and keep it as attention-grabbing as possible and you’ll make mum proud with your amazing email marketing.

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